Rug conveyer and dryer



Aug. 9, 1966 v A. F. MOORE ETAL 3,265,131

RUG CONVEYER AND DRYER Filed Jan. 15, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS e W ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,265,181 RUG CGNVEYER AND DRYER Arthur E. Moore, 2010 Praire, and Gregg R. Moore, 2121 Hawthorne, both of Elishart, Ind. Filed .Ian. 15, 1964, Ser. No. 337,794 Claims. (Cl. 198-213) This invention relates to a rug conveyer and dryer and more particularly to such apparatus which lifts a procession of damp, cleaned rugs from a rug cleaning room into an overhead drying chamber and there transfers them to a horizontally moving conveyer which moves the procession through the drying chamber with each rug hung from one edge, in the manner of a curtain, for the purpose of rapidly drying the same One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide for minimum handling of the rugs or other parts during this operation, the only manual operation upon the rug being impaling its leading edge upon pins projecting from a rug carrying bar, the damp, cleaned rugs and the empty carrying bars being conveyed to the loading station so as to minimize the effort required for this operation.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide such apparatus in which the rug carriers are securely confined within both the elevator mechanism and also the horizontal conveyer at all times so that there is no danger of any carrier, whether empty or whether supporting a rug, becoming displaced or interfering with the operation of either the elevating mechanism or the conveyer at any time.

Another object is to provide a very simple and effective means for transferring an empty rug carrying bar from the horizontal overhead conveyer to the elevating mechanism for lowering to a loading station and, following the impaling or draping of a rug upon that rug carrying bar, raising and returning it from the elevating mechanism to the horizontal conveyer, while at the same time replacing the loaded rug carrying bar with an empty rug carrying bar upon the elevator mechanism.

Another object is to provide such a mechanism which is simple and inexpensive in construction and which will stand up under conditions of severe and constant use without getting out of order or requiring repair and without damaging the rugs being dried.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section through the floors of a rug cleaning room and an overhead rug drying room showing a rug conveyer and dryer embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary vertical section through the upper part of the rug conveyer and dryer showing the manner in which empty poles are delivered from the overhead horizontal conveyer to the elevator and filled poles delivered from the elevator to the overhead horizontal conveyer.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the elevator lowered from the horizontal overhead conveyer.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one of the rug carrying bars to which an edge of a damp cleaned rug is attached for the purpose of being conveyed into and through the drying chamber.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are fragmentary vertical sections taken generally on the correspondingly numbered lines of FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 but showing the elevator in a lowered position.

Referring to FIG. 1 the numeral 10 represents the floor of a rug cleaning chamber 11 the ceiling of which Patented August 9, 1966 forms the floor 12 of an overhead drying chamber 13. This floor 12 of the drying chamber 13 is provided with an elongated slot 14 of sufficient length to permit rugs 15 to be moved vertically edgeways therethrough from the cleaning chamber 11 into the drying chamber 13.

After being cleaned, rinsed and passed between wringing rollers (not shown) the damp rugs 15 are brought edge first to a position under and with its leading edges parallel with the slot 14- by a belt conveyer indicated generally at 16 and comprising a belt or plurality of belts 18 having an upper horizontal stretch on which the rugs 15 are placed and traversing a roller 19 journalled on supports or blocks 20 on the floor 10 below the slot 14 and with its axis parallel therewith.

At each end of the roller 19 is arranged a vertical track 25 each being connected to the floor 10 by a base 26 and extending upwardly through the corresponding end of the slot 14 and terminating in an enlargement 28 providing a downwardly facing shoulder 29.

The enlarged upper ends 28 of the two vertical tracks 25 carry bearings 30 in which a horizontal shaft 31 is journalled, the shaft being arranged parallel with and above the slot 14. To the opposite ends of the shaft 31, between and close to the enlarged upper ends 28 of the vertical tracks 25 are fixed a pair of sprockets 32. Each of these sprockets carries a chain 33 having an upper horizontal stretch 34, a lower horizontal stretch 35, and a semicircular stretch 36 traversing the corresponding sprocket 32. At suitably spaced intervals the links of each of the chains 33 are provided with outwardly projecting propelling fingers 38, these fingers projecting upwardly along the upper stretch 34, radially outwardly along the semicircular stretch 36 and downwardlly along the lower stretch 35. The fingers 38 of the two chains 25 are in alinement witheach other and propel the opposite ends of a series of rug carrying bars indicated generally at 40 and shown in perspective in FIG. 4.

As there shown each of these rug carrying bars comprises a body part 41 carrying on one side a longitudinal row of pins 42 on which the leading edge of each rug 15 is impaled, as hereinafter described, and cylindrical ends 43. The axis of these cylindrical ends 43 are shown as traversing the outboard ends of the pins 42 so that when the leading edge of a rug is impaled upon these pins the rug can be lifted by elevating the cylindrical ends 43 thereof. Preferably end shoulders 44 are provided by the body portions 41 of the bars 40 from which the cylindrical ends 43 protrude and the spacing of these cylindrical ends 43 of each rug carrying bar 40 is equal to the spacing of the two chains 33 so that these ends can be acted upon by the propelling fingers 38 and the rug carrying bars 40 propelled along the upper, lower and circular stretches 34, 35, 36 of these chains by the protruding fingers 38.

Preferably the upper stretch 34 of each chain is supported by a rail 45. Immediately below the bottom stretch 3-5 of each chain a horizontal rail 46 is provided, this rail being in closely spaced relation to the outboard downw'ardly projecting ends of the propelling fingers 38 as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The semicircular end stretch 36 of each chain is surrounded by a stationary rail 48 concentric with the corresponding sprocket 32 and arranged in closely spaced relation with the outboard ends of the propelling fingers 38.

A feature of the invention resides in the spacing of the lower end 49 of each semicircular rail from the opposing end 50 of the bottom rail 46 so as to provide a space 51 therebetween, these spaces also being preferably generally centered with reference to the vertical tracks 25 as best shown in FIG. 3. These spaces 53 are also substantially wider than the cylindrical ends 43 of the rug carrying bars 40 and are arranged to receive the upper ends of an elevator mechanism indicated generally at 55 which successively receives an empty rug carrying bar 40 from the semicircular stretches 36 of the chains; lowers the empty bar through the slot 14 to a loading station near the discharge end of the upper stretch of the rug conveyor belt 18 to permit the leading edge of the rug to be impaled upon its pins 42; lifts the impaled rug ed-geways from the upper stretch of the rug conveyor belt 16 through slot 14 in the floor 12 of the drying chamber; and brings the ends of the bars through the spaces 51 between the ends 49 and 50 of the semicircular and bottom rails 43, 46 and into the zone of action of the fingers 38 so that the loaded nug carrying bar is transferred onto the lower horizontal rail 46 to be conveyed through the drying chamber 13 as a series of parallel curtains of rugs suspended from their upper edges on the rug carrying bars 40 as best illustrated in FIG. 1.

This elevator mechanism indicated generally at 55 comprises a pair of identical vertically moving carriers 56 riding up and down the tracks 25 in horizontal alinement with each other and each suspended and propelled by a cable 57, the two cables being drawn up and down in unison by means (not shown) in synchronism with the step-by-step movement of the chains 35 as hereinafter described. Each of these vertically moving carriers 56 comprises a metal body 58 having a slot or slideway 59 embracing and engaging the corresponding vertical track 25 and having parallel, vertical ears 60 carrying a horizontal pin 61 on which a roller 62 is journalled between these ears, this roller engaging the corresponding slide of the vertical track 25. The cable 57 can be anchored to a boss 63 projecting from the body 58 as best shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, and the body 58 includes an integral track section 65 projecting horizontally along'the upper edges of the ears 60, as best shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 5. A feature of the invention resides in this track section 65 of the body 58 being dished so as to provide a curved depression 66 terminating in end high points 67 which register with the rail ends 49 and 50, these curved depressions 66 of the two carriers 56 being in horizontal alinement with each other and serving to center the cylindrical ends 43 of the rug carrying bars in the carriers 56. Each vertically movable carrier also preferably has a top guard rail 68 arranged in spaced relation vertically above and parallel with the rail section 65, these guard rails protruding over the cylindrical ends 43 of each rug carrying bar 40 supported by the two carriers 56.

Further to insure against the ends of the rug carrying bars 40 being released from the carriers 56, especially when the leading edge of a rug is being impaled on the fingers 42 thereof, the end of the spaces 69 between each rail section 65 and guard rail 68 is closed by the unweighted ends 70 of a pair of bars 71 loosely pivoted to the outside of the corresponding ear 60, as indicated at 72, the end 70 being swung across the corresponding end of the space 69 by a weight 73 and this blocking position being maintained by a stop pin 74, as best indicated in FIG. 7. The ends 49 and 50 of the stationary rails 43 and 46 are arranged in the paths of ends 70 of these arms 71, so that when each carrier 56 is elevated to its uppermost position, in which its rail section 65 registers with these rail ends 49 and 50, these unweighted ends 70 of the arms 71 are pushed down to an inoperative or nonblocking position as best illustrated in FIG. 6.

In this description of the operation of the apparatus it will be assumed that the overhead chain 33 is loaded with a progression of empty rug conveying bars 40. The rugs 15, which have been washed, shampooed, rinsed and passed between wringing rollers to remove a greater part of the rinse water, are placed, one edge first, upon the upper stretch of the rug carrying belt 16 in the rug cleaning chamber 11 and this rug is propelled toward the rug conveyer and dryer embodying the present invention.

To receive this rug, with the vertically movable carriers 56 of the elevator mechanism in their elevated operative position illustrated in FIGS. 2, and 6, the pair of chains 33 are advanced a step equal to the spacing of their propelling fingers 38 so as to move one of these fingers to a position above the end 50 of the bottom rail as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. This permits the cylindrical ends 43 of the rug carrying bar 40 behind this pair of fingers to roll off the lower ends 49 of the semicircular rails 43 onto the rail sections of the pair of vertically movable conveyers 56.

The chains 33 are held stationary and the cables 57 lowered to permit the carriers 56 to ride down the tracks 25 with a rug carrying bar 40 suspended at its opposite ends 43 in the dished rail sections 65 thereof. As these rail sections 65 leave the space 51 between the ends 49, 50 of the stationary rails 48 and 46, the weights 73 at the ends of the pair of lever arms 71 of each vertically movable carrier 56 swing the unweighted ends thereof upwardly into a position where they block the opposite ends of the space 69 between each rail section 65 and the overhead guard rail 68. This blocking position of the unweighted ends of each pair of arms 71 is insured by the position of the stop 74 for each of these arms. It will accordingly be seen that while each rug carrying bar 40 is being moved vertically along the vertical tracks 25 the opposite ends 43 of the rug carrying bars are held against escape from the vertically movable carriers 56, being supported by the rail sections 65; being prevented from upward displacement by the guard rails 68; and being prevented from displacement from the ends of the space 69 therebetween by the unweighted ends 70 of the pair of swinging arms 71 blocking these ends.

The cables 57 are lowered sufficiently far to bring the rug carrying bar 40 to the loading station which is in line with the upper stretch of the rug conveying belt 18 in the rug cleaning room 11. The operator then seizes the advancing edge of the rug 15 being conveyed by this upper stretch 18 of the rug conveyer 16 and impales it on the pins 42 of the lowered rug carrying bar 40. When this has been completed the operator raises the cables 57 thereby to lift the pair of vertically movable carriers 56 and the rug carrying bar 40 supported thereby together with the leading edge of the rug 15 impaled thereon. As these carriers rise toward the slot 14 in the floor 12 of the drying chamber 13, the rug is drawn to a vertical position and is moved edgeways upwardly through the slot 14 into the drying chamber 13.

Further upward movement of the pair of vertically movable carriers 56 brings them into engagement with the stop shoulders 29 and in the last part of this movement the unweighted ends 70 of the weighted arms 71 engage the undersides of the ends 49 and 50 of the stationary rails 48 and 46, respectively, and are withdrawn from positions blocking the ends of the space 69 between the rail sections 65 and guard rails 68 of the two vertically movable carriers.

When the uppermost position of the two carriers is reached, as best shown in FIG. 2, the rail sections 65 thereof are in line or register with the ends 49 and 50 of the stationary tracks 48 and 46. When this occurs the pair of chains 33 are advanced another step equal to the spacing of their fingers 38. Accordingly, the pair of fingers at the lower ends 49 of the semicircular stationary rails 48 are moved to push the ends 43 of the filled bar 40 off of the rail sections 65 onto the ends 50 of the bottom horizontal rails 46. At the same time the next succeeding pair of propelling fingers 38 have been moved to release the next succeeding empty rug carrying bar 40 onto the rail sections 65 of the vertically movable carriers 56 for a repetition of the sequence just described.

It will also be seen that the rugs 15 are carried through the drying chamber 13 in a parallel, spaced, pendant procession suspended at their upper edges on the rug carrying bars 40 and permitting dry air to be circulated among the rugs to dry the same.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the present invention accomplishes the objectives and has the advantages previously set forth.

We claim:

1. A rug conveyor and dryer of the character described comprising a first pair of generally parallel, transversely spaced, stationary rails, a second pair of rails arranged in generally parallel, transversely spaced relation to each other and severally arranged in end-to-end spaced relation to said first pair of rails to provide horizontally alined spaces therebetween, a pair of vertical tracks having upper portions arranged in line with and adjacent said spaces, a carrier movable vertically along each track and having a rail section positioned to bridge the space between the opposing ends of the corresponding first and second rails and also having a guard rail in spaced relation above its rail section, a rug arrying bar includiing opposite ends adapted to be supported on and moved along said first pair of rails, 'between the rail sections and guard rails of said vertically movable carriers, and second pair of rails, and a step-by-step conveyer associated with each of said first and second rails and arranged to move the corresponding end of each rug carrying bar from the corresponding first rail onto the corresponding rail section of a vertically movable carrier, and from said rail section of said vertically movable carrier onto the corresponding second rail whereby the rug carrying bar on said rail sections of said vertically movable carriers can be moved vertically downwardly to a rug loading position and vertically upwardly to draw the loaded rug into a pendant position and to move the ends of said rug carryiing bar through the spaces between the ends of sad first and second pairs of rails into the zone of action of said step-by-step conveyers.

2. A 111g conveyer and dryer as set forth in claim 1 wherein a pair of arms are pivoted on each vertically movable carrier in position to swing to a position blocking the opposite ends of the space between the rail section and guard rail thereof, and wherein means are provided for moving said arms to said blocking position in response to downward movement of each vertically movable carrier away from said rails.

3. A rug conveyer and dryer as set forth in claim 1 wherein a pair of arms are loosely pivoted on each vertical carrier in position to have one end swing to a position blocking the opposite ends of the space between the rail section and guard rail thereof, said opposing ends of said rails being in the path of said arms and moving them to a non-blocking position as each vertically movable carrier rises to bring its rail section into register with said opposing ends of said rails, and counterweight means moving said arms to said blocking position in response to downward movement of each movable carrier away from said opposing ends of said rails.

4. A rug conveyer and dryer of the character described comprising a first pair of generally parallel, transversely spaced, stationary semicircular rails concentric about a common axis, a second pair of rails arranged in generally parallel, transversely spaced relation to each other and severally arranged in end-to-end spaced relation to the lower ends of said first pair of rails to provide horizontally alined spaces therebetween, a pair of vertical tracks having upper portions arranged in line with and adjacent said spaces, a carrier movable vertically along each track and having a rail section positioned to bridge the space between the opposing ends of the corresponding first and second rails, a rug carrying bar including opposite ends adapted to be supported on and moved along said first pair of rails, the rail sections of said vertically movable carriers, and second pair of rails, and a step-by-step conveyer chain associated with each of said first and second rails and having a semicircular portion inside and concentric with a corresponding first rail and also each having a horizontal stretch immediately above and parallel with the corresponding second rail, and each of said conveyer chains including members projecting toward said rails and loosely engaging and pushing the ends of said rug carrier bar to move the corresponding end of each rug carrying bar from the corresponding first rail onto the corresponding rail section of a vertically movable carrier and from said rail section of said vertically movable carrier onto the corresponding second rail whereby the rug carrying hat on said rail sections of said vertically movable carriers can be moved vertically downwardly to a rug loading position and vertically upwardly to draw the loaded rug into a pendant position and to move the ends of said rug carrying bar through the spaces between the ends of said first and second pairs of rails into the zone of action of said step-by-step conveyers.

5. A rug conveyer and dryer as set forth in claim 4 wherein said chains each includes a top generally horizontal stretch and wherein a third pair of rails extend along and support said top generally horizontal stretches.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,460,448 7/1923 Shampay 19820 2,138,095 11/1938 Gordon 198-20 X 2,648,419 8/1953 Detrez 19824 2,653,433 9/1953 Sandberg 198174 X 2,887,211 5/1959 Myers 198-76 X EVON C. BLUNK, Primary Examiner.

SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Examiner.

R. J. HICKEY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A RUG CONVEYOR AND DRYER OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED COMPRISING A FIRST PAIR OF GENERALLY PARALLEL, TRANSVERSELY SPACED, STATIONARY RAILS, A SECOND PAIR OF RAILS ARRANGED IN GENERALLY PARALLEL, TRANSVERSELY SPACED RELATION TO EACH OTHER AND SEVERALLY ARRANGED IN END-TO-END SPACED RELATION TO SAID FIRST PAIR OF RAILS TO PROVIDE HORIZONTALLY ALINED SPACED THEREBETWEEN, A PAIR OF VERTICAL TRACKS HAVING UPPER PORTIONS ARRANGED IN LINE WITH AND ADJACENT SAID SPACES, A CARRIER MOVABLE VERTICALLY ALONG EACH TRACK AND HAVING A RAIL SECTION POSITIONED TO BRIDGE THE SPACE BETWEEN THE OPPOSING ENDS OF THE CORRESPONDING FIRST AND SECOND RAILS AND ALSO HAVING A GUARD RAIL IN SPACED RELATION ABOVE ITS RAIL SECTION, A RUG CARRYING BAR INCLUDING OPPOSITE ENDS ADAPTED TO BE SUPPORTED ON AND MOVED ALONG SAID FIRST PAIR OF RAILS, BETWEEN THE RAIL SECTIONS AND GUARD RAILS ON SAID VERTICALLY MOVABLE CARRIERS, AND SECOND PAIR OF RAILS, AND A STEP-BY-STEP CONVEYOR ASSOCIATED WITH EACH OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND RAILS AND ARRANGED TO MOVE THE CORRESPONDING END OF EACH RUG CARRYING BAR FROM THE CORRESPONDING FIRST RAIL ONTO THE CORRESPONDING RAIL SECTION OF A VERTICALLY MOVABLE CARRIER, AND FROM SAID RAIL SECTION OF SAID VERTICALLY MOVABLE CARRIER ONTO THE CORRESPONDING SECOND RAIL WHEREBY THE RUG CARRYING BAR ON SAID RAIL SECTIONS OF SAID VERTICALLY MOVABLE CARRIERS CAN BE MOVED VERTICALLY DOWNWARDLY TO A RUG LOADING POSITION AND VERTICALLY UPWARDLY TO DRAW THE LOADED RUG INTO A PENDANT POSITION AND TO MOVE THE ENDS OF SAID RUG CARRYING BAR THROUGH THE SPACED BETWEEN THE ENDS OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND PAIRS OF RAILS INTO THE ZONE OF ACTION OF SAID STEP-BY-STEP CONVEYORS. 